Monthly Archives: June 2015

Vampires have gotten a seriously bad rap lately. When Twilight became a tween sensation, it almost turned the entire supernatural genre into an extension of the romance genre. Tsk, tsk. Bad Twilight. Let’s remember all of those fantastic vampires that kick ass and do something other than pine for Bella!

1. Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping…waiting…and though unwanted…unbidden…it will stir…open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us…guides us. Passion rules us all. And we obey.”

Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and later his own spinoff) gets the Number 1 spot because of David Boreanaz’s major skills at being both psychotically evil and a wonderful, brooding boyfriend. Both were insanely convincing! From helping Buffy and saving her friends, to tormenting Buffy to the edge of insanity, Angel does it all and makes it look good.

2. Simon Lewis, The Mortal Instruments: “Well, when a mommy vampire and a daddy vampire love each other very much…”

Simon from The Mortal Instruments book series (and the one movie) earns his spot on the list by being the Daylighter. (Sorry Vampire Diaries, Simon can walk in the sun without a ring.) He gives up his immortality and his memories to save his friends, and he always injects some much needed humor into the group. Throughout the series, he’s a human, a vampire, a ladykiller, and eventually, a shadowhunter. Also, if Isabelle Lightwood wants to date him, how can he not make the top of the list? (The new Shadowhunters tv show will begin airing on ABC Family in 2016!)

Caroline starts out as a prissy, uptight cheerleader who gets in the way and acts as a compelled toy for Damon. Just a little way into The Vampire Diaries‘ long run, Caroline somehow becomes a vampire badass. She’s smart, funny, strong-willed and an integral member of the team.

4. Drusilla, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “I can see [the stars]. But I’ve named them all the same name, and there’s terrible confusion.”

Who doesn’t miss this insane, doll-carrying, slightly psychic vamp from the early years of Buffy? Spike and Dru were the perfect bad guys: psychotic murderers and crazy in love. But Drusilla’s unique abilities to have no idea what’s going on right in front of her, but still be a lethal threat, makes her rank above Spike.

5. Damon Salvatore, The Vampire Diaries: “I do believe in killing the messenger. Know why? It sends a message.”

The Vampire Diaries‘ Damon has an excellent character arc showing his transition from a chaos-loving, revenge-obsessed torturer to a semi-productive member of society. He’s a veritable seven layer dip of emotions, regularly murdering people in fits of rage. However, he prioritizes his family and friends and doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty to save them.

6. Mina Harker, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: “You’re sweet… and you’re young. Neither are traits that I hold in high regard.”

From the very first vampire story, Mina Harker is the lead female character of the original Dracula novel. Harker shows up in a lot of vampire stories, but I am a particularly big fan of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Harker is the only woman welcomed into the Gentlemen’s league. Even though many don’t want her there, she saves the day repeatedly.

7. Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Love isn’t brains, children, it’s blood. Blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love’s bitch, but at least I’m man enough to admit it.”

Oh, Spike. Who can say no to that face? Even with the bleached ’90s Buffy hair. The original ‘bad boy gone good’ vampire tale (Sorry Damon), Spike is only low on the list because compared to Angel and Drusilla (both from Buffy as well), Spike is the less unique character. However, Spike avoided being a one-trick pony with his impressive transition throughout the series. Thank you Joss Whedon for making it feel believable that the evil baddie from Season 2 could somehow become a love interest only three years later.

Selene from Underworld is a vampire Death Dealer, working for her vampire clan as an assassin. She is fighting in the war between vampires and lycans and wants to eliminate the lycan race. Ice cold with deadly skills, Selene doesn’t show much of herself to anyone until Michael Corvin comes along, a human. Suddenly, her priorities change. Selene is killer to watch on screen as she pulls off crazy stunts to save Michael.

A Court of Thorns and Roses came out a few weeks ago, hitting the New York Times Bestseller list at Number 2. As a fan of Sara J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series, I had to read it. It is a fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast – or at least the first half is. The book takes a serious U-turn about halfway through and becomes something very different. But never fear, it is still excellent! Here are the pros and cons.

Pros:

1. Characters that you root for. From the first chapter, I understood and liked Feyre as a character. She’s smart and says what’s on her mind. Tamlin, the Beast to her Beauty, is perhaps a more simple character, but very enjoyable to read. He’s the tortured, responsible warrior type. Lucien, the third primary character, is very dynamic, as his painful honesty is very enjoyable to read! Lastly, there’s a wonderful redemption arc involving one of Feyre’s sisters that I did not see coming at all! (I love it when I don’t see things coming!)

2. Pretty sexy. These books take the steam level up a few notches from Maas’s Throne of Glass series. No fade to black in these books! The romance is exciting and believable, but readers should be at least 16 to indulge in this book.

3. Gets you amped up for Book 2! The way the book ends has me DYING for Book 2, which won’t hit the shelf for at least a year. After surviving all of her tests and torments, Feyre’s life has changed in several key ways (no spoilers, don’t worry!) She has plenty to worry about for the next book, after she was forced to cut a painful deal that involves her becoming a regular plaything of the Night Court’s High Lord.

Cons:

1. Not another love triangle! (But I secretly love it).- In the end, Feyre gets the man she loves, but there’s another attraction brewing with a man who has ability to enter her mind. She’s intrigued by him, but she will be forced to spend a lot of time with him in the next book! It seems pretty clear that it’s going to be an intense love triangle with Feyre pulled between a straight-laced warrior and a dirty politician. While I’m definitely tired of the Gale/Peeta crap that will never end, I really like the characters and appreciate the unique situation that Maas created for the triangle. It’s not another Katniss whining ‘I can’t make up my mind!’ At least, not yet.

2. Felt like two different books. (Part 1: life at Fae court. Part 2: life in a prison/fight to the death) The first half, Feyre is getting to know the magical Fae world. She’s falling in love with Tamlin and struggling to get over her former life. The second half, she is plunged into a prison and forced to serve as a maid/exotic dancer while competing in three Herculean tasks where she’s expected to die. Whaaaaaaat? And side note, in Part 1 she kills a Fae in cold blood and only feels slightly bad. She doesn’t brood on it at all. Then in Part 2, she kills two Fae and now she says that those deaths will haunt her forever. I don’t see why they would be so much worse than the first one. (Thoughts? Let me know!)

But, what can I say, I still loved the book and am really excited for Book 2! There’s no official word on it, but it’s clear that it will have a Hades/Persephone element!

What do you think? Will you be picking up a copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses?

Red Queen, the debut novel by Victoria Aveyard, is an exciting YA fantasy that came out in February 2015. It was one of the biggest YA hits this year, becoming an instant New York Times Bestseller. Elizabeth Banks is already in talks to direct the movie!

It’s about a dystopian society where a poor, starving girl is brought to the big, fancy city and is forced to participate in a society she doesn’t understand, where she must fight in a series of games. She’s caught between an old, loyal friend who is attracted to her and a new love that she meets, who she must cling to for self-protection. Sound familiar? With the plot having some remarkable similarities to other novels you might have read, you won’t be surprised to learn that Red Queen has made a killing this year! What can I say? The formula works!

I bought Red Queen when it hit the shelves, partially because of the awesome cover, but also because I’d heard so much hype. I read it as part of my 50 Books Challenge and found it very readable and fun, though I often found myself picking out pieces of other popular YA novels, like The Selection and, of course, The Hunger Games.

What I will say for this book, as an individual, is that it has really cool, unique magic. Awesome magic always gets me to read a series, even if the plot is a little basic. The premise is that the wealthy elite have silver blood, and the poor have red blood. The silver-blooded elite have supernatural abilities in varying forms, while the red-blooded poor have none. When Mare is discovered as having both magical powers and red blood, she is forced to join the silver-blooded society and live under the tyrannical control of the evil Queen, who passes her off as a long-lost silver blood. She plans to marry Mare off to her son to keep the whole situation quiet. Mare finds herself in between the two princes, Cal and Maven, not knowing who to rely on or who to trust, as she works to assist the rebellion of the Scarlet Guard from inside the silver-blooded society.

The Pros:

– Unique system of magic that is very interesting and fun!

– Enjoyable, quick read. I read it in a day!

The Cons:

– The plot has a lot of similarities to other popular YA novels.

The final verdict:An enjoyable and easy read, but don’t expect too much from the story.

I’m so obsessed with Reign, the Mary Queen of Scots drama on the CW. Like SOOOOOO unhealthily obsessed. I love it. I can’t get enough. I just recently discovered it, and I DEVOURED both seasons. Now I have to wait 3 months until Season 3! I can’t stand it. But it got me thinking about some of the strange, all-consuming obsessions that I’ve had in my life. Here they are:

1. Green Day

This was a die-hard obsession of my 8th and 9th grade years. I wore WAY too much eye makeup and black nail polish. Listening to such angry music all the time made me kind of hate my (very good) life! I figured that out eventually, but I still nurse a little crush on Billy Joe Armstrong.

2. Veganism

My junior year of high school through my freshman year of college, I was obsessed with all things vegan. I read a massive number of books and got really into cooking elaborate vegan recipes. I stayed vegan until my senior year of college, when I studied abroad in Italy, and was left with no choice but to consume mass amounts of gelato.

3. Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra

BEST SHOW EVER! I don’t know if this obsession really ever died, but the first time I saw it, I skipped class to finish the final season with my roommate! We could not turn it off and ended up attempting to beatbox the end credits after each episode.

4. Greek Mythology

In 6th grade, I was introduced to the world of Greek mythology and I immediately fell in love with the archetype characters. I quickly began constructing my own stories using the gods and goddesses as characters! This obsession faded into obscurity for a while, but last year when I read Goddesses in Everywoman, the obsession was unleashed again! Now, I find myself thinking “she’s such an Athena” on a regular basis.

5. Harry Potter

Who wasn’t obsessed with Harry Potter at some point? But for me, this is a lifelong obsession that continues on. I am a 23-year-old woman who goes on Pottermore. I have -yikes- 4 pieces of Harry Potter art hanging in my apartment. (In my defense, though, I have several gallery walls worth of art.) I also love listening to the Harry Potter audio books when I’m driving between San Francisco and Los Angeles alone. The 5 hours fly by. That’s only like 1/3 of Goblet of Fire!

6. Red Hair

When I was little, I had a red-headed Barbie named Courtney. And the obsession was born. Later, Satine from Moulin Rouge fed my love of red hair. Needless to say, I have been a red-head since my Dad gave me permission in high school to die my hair.

7. Buffy

I resisted Buffy for a long time. I’ve devoured every other Joss Whedon show, but I was nervous about Buffy’s cheesy ’90s special effects. Boy, did I get over that fast! The first time I watched Buffy, I would get off of work and calculate exactly how many episodes I had time to watch before I had to go to bed. It made me want to start wearing cross necklaces, and I finally understood the strong and silent type. Hello, Angel!

Those are my craziest obsessions. What have your greatest obsessions been?

In the effort of full disclosure, I will say that I love Reign. It’s my first ever CW show, but I love the acting, the story, the wardrobe, and the semi-historical nature of the show. Not to mention: some serious badass girl power. Mary Queen of Scots (Adelaide Kane) may be the young queen of a troubled country, but she is a powerhouse and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Even though she reigns at a time when women have almost no freedom, she still makes her actions count and uses her power for all it’s worth. But I’ll admit, Reign has a few flaws. It features some pretty ludicrous and unhistorical plot twists and relies heavily on romantic drama. So here’s the best, the worst and the essential. Then you can decide whether you want to binge-watch in time for Season 3!

Here are the predominant aspects of the CW’s historical drama, Reign:

Killer chemistry between Kane and Regbo

The Romance: Oh, the romance. The show starts Season 1 with Mary moving to French Court to get to know her fiancé, the dauphin of France, Francis (Toby Regbo). He immediately pushes her away, insisting that he doesn’t know whether they will actually be married. Yet, the attraction between the two of them is obvious and they eventually admit their feelings. Unfortunately, romance is never that easy for royals. Everyone from the King to Scottish rebels seem to get in the way. There is great chemistry between Kane and Regbo, even if the Will They/Won’t They becomes a bit excessive. For the supporting characters, the exciting romance between Lady-in-Waiting Greer (Celina Sinden) and kitchen boy Leith (Jonathan Keltz) is one for the ages. And a surprising romance between Narcisse (Craig Parker) and Lola (Anna Popplewell) involves some unexpected games- including one where Lola tricks Narcisse into watching a maid bathe from a balcony.

The Magic: What separates this show from actual historical events (besides some of the high drama), is the slight hint of fantasy. There are minute magical elements to the show that keep viewers guessing if they’re just superstitions or if they’re actually happening. The show starts off with prophecies made by the Court Seer Nostradamus, but they also face Pagan Rituals, a cannibal, a woman who can bring back the dead, and a castle ghost. It’s a lot of fun and adds some much needed romance-free intrigue!

The Friendships: The show has several prominent friendships that play important roles: the relationship between Mary and her ladies (Lola, Greer and Kenna), and the relationship between Francis and Bash (half brothers). Mary’s relationship with her ladies is one of mutual support through any failure. From Lola’s unplanned pregnancy to Kenna becoming the King’s mistress, Mary is frank with her opinions but never stops supporting her friends. Francis and Bash’s relationship is a bit all over the place. They hate each other, they love each other, but they are always brothers and would take a knife to the chest for each other.

If you’re undecided about whether or not to tune in, here are the best and worst aspects of the show:

Greer’s tough, but savvy, decisions show her strength as a character and role model.

Highlights:

1. Believable Bad Guys

One of my favorite things about the show is that the bad guys are very believable. They all have reasons behind their actions. Firstly, Catherine (a sometimes good, sometimes baddie) did all of her worst deeds for love and protection of her children. She would go to any length for them. Conde became a bad guy because he was abandoned by Mary and pushed into a corner by his brother, leaving him no alternative but to follow through with the only people offering him support.

2. Greer

The only non-noble in Mary’s crew, Greer is under a lot of stress to marry up. After meeting a gorgeous, funny, and smart kitchen boy, Greer starts sneaking around to see him without ruining her reputation. A season later, for reasons I won’t give away, Greer loses her money and standing at the castle. She is forced out and carves out a life for herself as a Madame. She experiences the first slice of power and freedom that she has ever had. When the love of her life proposes, she rejects him, because she would have to give up her lucrative business. Celina Sinden did some fantastic acting throughout both seasons, but her character is given so much more to work with in Season 2!

Ridiculously good looking bad guys.

Lowlights:

1. Unrealistic Drama

Even though I love the show, I’ll give that some of the drama is pretty unrealistic. Lola’s one night stand with Francis, with no reason why she would want to do that, and Bash’s immediate ‘will die for you’ love for Mary, without any lead up are the two most predominant examples. However, Mary’s reaction and decision to wed Bash after she finds out about Nostradamus’s prophecy is a bit hard to swallow. And lastly, Catherine’s romantic interest in Narcisse is unbelievable, considering he has hooked up with her daughter AND her grandson’s mother.

2. Too Many Attractive People

Everyone is gorgeous. Even the bad guys! Narcisse, Conde and Catherine, all featured bad guys from both seasons, are ridiculously attractive. Get a look at this face. It was almost enough to make me root for Narcisse sometimes! It wouldn’t kill the show to throw in some normal looking people once in a while, just to shake things up!

3. Not historically accurate.

The most common complaint that I hear about this show is that it isn’t historically accurate. No, the dresses that they wear aren’t period appropriate. Yes, they made a lot of changes to the history. And finally, Bash, King Henry’s bastard son, is a made-up character who plays a major role in the show. (He is credited third after Mary and Catherine.)

After reading my lengthy breakdown, what do you think? Will you give Reign a shot?